Home for Winter

chapter 14

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chapter 14

The Dreams That We Once Had

Everett

"Are you sick?" I ask Olivia and put down the water that I brought for her.

Sabi niya kanina, aalis siya at pupuntang plaza. Her café run out of supply. Napadalas kasi ang pagpunta ng mga tiga-village dito para bumisita at magkape. Seems like they enjoyed her coffee very much.

But she didn't left after going down. She sat on the chair three seats apart like usual and closed her eyes while constantly coughing.

"Inubo yata ako."

Dumilat siya at tinanggap ang tubig na binigay ko.

Her face and lips look pale and dry. She doesn't even braid her hair today. Nakalugay lang. On a usual day, she'd make coffee as soon as she wakes up, sit here and start crocheting. After drinking her coffee, she'd get up and take a bath.

But today, she doesn't even seem to have the energy to make one.

"Can I...?"

"Mhm?"

Carefully, I place my hand on her forehead. Napalingon siya sa 'kin sa ginawa ko pero agad ding nag-iwas. Indeed, her forehead is hot against my hand.

"You have a fever."

"Ah... fe-fever."

"Yes, fever."

"Oh... okay." Nahuli ko ang pagsilip niya habang nakahawak ako sa noo niya. "At, uh, your, your hand."

Inalis ko ang pagkakahawak sa noo niya. "Paano ka makakaalis niyan?"

"Shocks, oo nga pala. Umaalis ako—" She coughs. Then sighs. "Hindi pwedeng hindi ako umalis..." Tumayo siya, pero hindi pa siya nakakahakbang nang muntik na siyang matapilok, buti na lang nahawakan ko.

"Aalis ka pa rin? You can't even walk properly."

"I don't have a choice, though."

Her body is really hot. Hinatid kasi namin kahapon ang mga Lola. Then her coat was soaked in water on our way back.

Thinking of making her go in this condition makes me concern. What if she suddenly collapses in this cold weather? Dito pa lang nahihilo na siya, doon pa kaya? And if she'll go, mas lalong tataas ang lagnat niya.

She looks so weak today even from the outside, how can she still think of going?

"Don't go," I impulsively say. "I'll go."

"Pero baka hindi mo alam ang bibilhin."

"You can write a list?"

"Baka... um, baka... baka maligaw ka?"

Crap.

I scratch my brow. I can't answer that one.

"Sasama na lang ako."

"Pero may sakit ka nga. Baka mapano ka pa."

"But you're with me? We're together, I mean."

"So, should we get lost together?"

She pouts, caressing her elbow. "You're so hard to convince sometimes," she whispers.

"And you're stubborn sometimes."

I glimpse the smile before she turns away.

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Luckily, the plaza didn't confuse me as much the second time around. Buti na lang din 'yong malapit na grocery lang ang pinagbibilhin ko kaya hindi na ko naligaw.